Chelmsford, MA · standard
ZIP Code 01824
Middlesex County, Massachusetts - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 24,911
- 542/sq mi High-density area
- $140,050
- Median income Above-median income area
- $619,700
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 55.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Chelmsford pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 5%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 8%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 542
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 01824 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 01824 (Chelmsford, MA) rose +5.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 242.7 in 2023 to 256.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 01824 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with 24,911 residents across 46.0 square miles, a density of 542 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 01824 skews affluent, with a median household income of $140,050 (21% above the average Massachusetts ZIP), while per-capita income is $62,155. The poverty rate is 5.4%, with unemployment at 6.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $619,700 (3% above the average Massachusetts ZIP) and median rent is $2,167; 82.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 55.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.8, and the average commute is 28 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Middlesex County, so 01824 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 01824
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chelmsford, MA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 01824.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
133 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
116 establishments
- Construction
Construction
104 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
79 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
77 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 01824, Chelmsford, MA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
24,911
Population
46.0
Area (sq mi)
542
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 01824?
41.8
Median Age
48.1%
Male
51.9%
Female
13.7%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$140,050
Median Household Income
+21% vs state ZIP avg
$62,155
Per Capita Income
5.4%
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Unemployment Rate
28.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 01824 ranks among Massachusetts ZIPs
Chelmsford, MA household income vs. every Massachusetts ZIP code
Median household income among 505 reporting Massachusetts ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$140,050 Top 22% higher than 78% of 505 Massachusetts ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Massachusetts ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
10,327housing units
10,327
Total Housing Units
9,877
Occupied Units
450
Vacant Units
2.68
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$619,700
Median Home Value
+3% vs state ZIP avg
$2,167
Median Rent
1967
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+5.6%
YoY Change (2024)
256
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+156%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 01824 have increased 5.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +156% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.3% | 178 |
| 2021 | +12.1% | 199 |
| 2022 | +11.4% | 222 |
| 2023 | +9.3% | 243 |
| 2024 | +5.6% | 256 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 844 business establishments in ZIP 01824, employing approximately 20,094 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,440,267,000.
844
Businesses
20,094
Employees
$1.4B
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 133 | 15.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 116 | 13.7% |
| Construction | 104 | 12.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 79 | 9.4% |
| Retail trade | 77 | 9.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 71 | 8.4% |
| Manufacturing | 57 | 6.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 47 | 5.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 38 | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 30 | 3.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 21 | 2.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 21 | 2.5% |
| Educational services | 15 | 1.8% |
| Information | 14 | 1.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 14 | 1.7% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 3 | 0.4% |
| Industries not classified | 3 | 0.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 01824 vs 01851 →
ZIP 01824 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 01852
Lowell (01852)
33,508 residents
- 01821
Billerica (01821)
30,310 residents
- 01851
Lowell (01851)
30,190 residents
- 01854
Lowell (01854)
27,606 residents
- 01824
Chelmsford (01824)
24,911 residents
- 01886
Westford (01886)
21,951 residents
- 01742
Concord (01742)
17,726 residents
- 01850
Lowell (01850)
15,237 residents
- 01862 10,227
North Billerica (01862)
10,227 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 01824 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 01824 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 01741
Carlisle (01741)
$250,000 median income
- 01742
Concord (01742)
$195,125 median income
- 01886
Westford (01886)
$187,198 median income
- 01821
Billerica (01821)
$149,042 median income
- 01863
North Chelmsford (01863)
$144,875 median income
- 01824
Chelmsford (01824)
$140,050 median income
- 01862
North Billerica (01862)
$138,571 median income
- 01851 $92,401
Lowell (01851)
$92,401 median income
- 01852 $80,906
Lowell (01852)
$80,906 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 01824 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01851 | Lowell, MA | 30,190 | 2.8 mi |
| 01741 | Carlisle, MA | 4,852 | 4.2 mi |
| 01854 | Lowell, MA | 27,606 | 4.0 mi |
| 01863 | North Chelmsford, MA | 8,891 | 3.4 mi |
| 01862 | North Billerica, MA | 10,227 | 3.4 mi |
| 01886 | Westford, MA | 21,951 | 4.3 mi |
| 01852 | Lowell, MA | 33,508 | 4.2 mi |
| 01850 | Lowell, MA | 15,237 | 5.2 mi |
| 01742 | Concord, MA | 17,726 | 8.9 mi |
| 01821 | Billerica, MA | 30,310 | 6.0 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 01824, both outside MA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (24,911 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 01824 in?
ZIP code 01824 (Chelmsford) is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Middlesex County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/middlesex-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 01824?
ZIP code 01824 in Chelmsford, MA has a population of 24,911 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 01824?
The median household income in ZIP 01824 is $140,050, which is 84% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 01824?
The median home value in ZIP 01824 is $619,700, which is 123% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 01824?
The largest racial group in ZIP 01824 is White at 78.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 01824?
ZIP code 01824 has 844 business establishments employing approximately 20,094 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 01824?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 01824 are: Health care and social assistance (133), Professional, scientific, and technical services (116), Construction (104). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 01824?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 01824 increased by 5.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 156%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 01824?
In ZIP code 01824, 71.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 55.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 01824?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 01824 is 28.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 01824?
In ZIP code 01824, approximately 82.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 01824?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 01824 is 5.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 01824's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 01824 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Chelmsford, MA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.